The Trinity Perspective | Fall 2018

FA L L 2 0 1 8

Green House

At Trinity, academics, high-powered internships, and undergraduate research all intertwine.

WE DON’T FAKE IT–WE MAKE IT

Research projects tackle bots, fake accounts, and propaganda

Brandon Guzman ’19 Communication major Researching how computational propaganda is affecting Maryland’s 2018 race for governor

We’re researching a topic that’s just so prescient,” Guzman says.

People are using vast networks of social media bots to influence users on Facebook and Twitter, and while there are investigations going on in Congress about this right now, very little research has been done.

What we do here at Trinity, it matters in the real world.

Mary Margaret Herring ’20 Philosophy and communication double major Helping the public identify bots and expose digital propaganda techniques

This is such an empowering experience,” Herring says. “The research we’re doing right now is relevant; it’s needed. This is so amazing to think about—that I’m making a big impact at such an early phase in my academic career, and I’m getting these opportunities.

The Trinity Perspective magazine is produced quarterly. Through these pages, explore the many facets of life at Trinity University and get to know the students, faculty, and staff that call Trinity home. With the vibrant city of San Antonio as a backdrop, discover the many benefits and opportunities our community has to offer. We invite you to read these pages to explore some of the many ways we make a great education possible, then visit our 125-acre campus to see it firsthand.

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ABOUT TRINITY Trinity University is a private, residential, co-educational institution with an undergraduate focus. So, what does that mean? It means that we are here to focus on YOU. We connect you with the best possible resources, caring and engaged faculty members, committed staff members, and world-class students destined to have a positive impact on our community.

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Dynamic Duo Two Trinity students earn competitive Goldwater Scholarships

By Susie P. Gonzalez

This spring, Trinity University juniors Zoheb Hirani ’19 and Daisy Horr ’19 joined a prestigious line of Tigers who’ve won Goldwater Scholarships.

As Goldwater Scholars—an award based on academic merit given annually to more than 200 college juniors and sophomores intending to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering science—Hirani and Horr are the 21st and 22nd Trinity undergraduates to earn this honor.

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“I’m very thankful for the supportive environment I’ve had at Trinity,” says Hirani, a chemistry major from Missouri City, Texas.

“I’ve had a lot of support through my rough times, and the culture here has allowed me to make a lot of mistakes, but learn from them and move on.”

Hirani was awarded a Beckman Scholarship as a sophomore and has been involved in summer research for two years. He is president of the Trinity chapter of the American Chemical Society and is vice president of the campus social fraternity Phi Sigma Chi. Horr, a biology major with a concentration in ecology and evolution, hails from Austin. In addition to her status as a Goldwater Scholar, she’s also a McNair Scholar, another program foundational to her desire to attend graduate school. After graduating, Horr plans to work in a graduate school lab to study vertebrate evolution or ecology.

“I absolutely love field work, and I hope to find a lab where I can continue studying organisms in their natural environment,” Horr says. “My ultimate career goal is to work as a scientific curator in a museum, where I hope I can continue pursuing biological research and incorporate my work into community outreach.”

Both Horr and Hirani point to Trinity’s world-

class faculty as a major factor in their success.

Hirani, under the direction of chemistry professor Adam Urbach, is leaning toward research that will lead to a doctorate in the field of enzyme design by directed evolution.

“I would ultimately like to direct research at a startup company aimed to help the world with some sort of ingenious technology,” Hirani says, adding that he enjoys solving problems and running experiments but also loves organizing meetings, giving presentations, engaging in conferences, and working with people—all skills that lend themselves to the research and development required of a successful start-up company. He also has learned much from Urbach.

“Words cannot describe how outstanding of a mentor and role model Dr. Urbach has been,” Hirani says. “He intensely strives for excellence, but he is also a very kind, supportive person.

I’ve enjoyed observing how he conducts science, his writing style, and the way that he approaches problems. Most of all, he has taught me the importance of mindfulness in all things, a lesson which I still learn every day.”

For Horr, working with biology professor Michele Johnson has allowed Horr to grow as a scientist. In the summer of 2017, Horr took part in a Trinity summer research program to study

I’m very thankful for the supportive environment I’ve had at Trinity. I’ve had a lot of support through my rough times, and the culture here has allowed me to make a lot of mistakes, but learn from them and move on.

the dynamics of body color change in green anole lizards, and in 2018, she will take part in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at Mountain Lake Biological Station in Virginia, studying biodiversity and systematics of the mountain lake fauna.

“In Dr. Johnson’s lab, I have learned a wide breadth of skills, including how to conduct experimental trials, make observations in the field, effectively write scientific papers, present at state and national conferences, and overall how to be a capable researcher,” Horr says.

“Her guidance has really been key in helping me become more confident defining myself as a scientist, and I am very grateful to have someone like Dr. Johnson to always push me to do more than I believed I could do on my own.”

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This Class is Always Greener ALE program blends the classroom and the workplace together for Megan Smith ’18

By Jeremy Gerlach

Call it a classroom, a workplace, or a garden: This summer, Megan Smith ’18 is growing in a greener space.

Smith, an environmental studies major and communication minor graduating in December, is spending her break working for Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas, a local nonprofit dedicated to urban nature conservancy. But this isn’t just a traditional internship—it’s a full-time,

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professional position funded by a $4,000 stipend from Trinity’s one-of-a-kind Arts, Letters, and Enterprise (ALE) program.

What makes the ALE program so unique?

“You’re taking your education and going out into the workforce and doing something real with it while you’re still an undergraduate,” Smith says. Smith and other ALE students, regardless of their major, take on a rigorous, interdisciplinary

course load with the rest of Trinity’s student body. But ALE’s unique networking resources— and specialized cohort of faculty fellows—help to merge their academic and professional development throughout their time at Trinity.

Smith’s “official” role with Green Spaces Alliance is as a social media intern, which means she handles the nonprofit’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, along with normal office duties such as sifting through emails and sorting projects. But Smith also gets to work on a number of sophisticated tasks, such as developing the Green Spaces Alliance website, assisting the group with donor development, preparing master plans for various community gardens and land parcels, and even helping her director with grant writing and analyzing data.

“An ALE internship is actually more like a normal, corporate job,” says Smith. “You have a dependable schedule, you’re developing real skills out in the business world, and expectations for the quality of your work are high.”

In short, an ALE internship “isn’t the type of internship where you’re just getting coffee or making copies, or doing menial labor,” Smith continues. “I mean, I get to go out and water our office garden—but I asked to do that myself.”

Kelly Carlisle, English professor and author, serves as Smith’s ALE mentor. As an ALE Faculty Fellow, Carlisle is one of several Trinity faculty members who interface with local nonprofit heads and entrepreneurs, serving as specialized liaisons between ALE students and potential career fields.

“We give liberal arts majors business skills,” Carlisle says. “For instance, our humanities students have always become adaptive employees, bosses, or entrepreneurs, but the ALE experience helps them shift from saying ‘Hey, I can do this,’ to ‘Hey, I have done this.’”

This makes an ALE position a win-win for both student and employer, according to Carlisle.

“Getting a paid employee is a huge deal for any nonprofit,” Carlisle says. “And the student gets all this experience in a professional environment— which their professor monitors to make sure the student is getting the chance to do real work— all while they’re getting real-time feedback from their boss.”

I love being able to see results that don’t just take the form of a piece of paper. Being outside and seeing the effect of your work—that’s such a different experience.

And while Smith spends most of her summer days—which in San Antonio can reach upwards of 105 degrees—in the cool comfort of her Green Spaces Alliance office, she also loves getting the opportunity to work outside.

Smith has assisted with events such as the Secret Garden Tour, which takes visitors through 14 area homes and businesses that save water in innovative ways in San Antonio’s picturesque King William neighborhood. Smith took pictures, documented the event, and helped oversee an outdoor luncheon and auction— not a bad way to spend a workday.

“I love being able to see results that don’t just take the form of a piece of paper,” Smith says.

“Being outside and seeing the effect of your work—that’s such a different experience.”

These results, Smith explains, can have a two-way effect on her studies at Trinity. As a

communication minor, her work at Green Spaces Alliance has given her a powerful demonstration on the nuances of social media platforms.

And her multifaceted work on projects ranging from grant writing to budgeting and web development gives her an adaptable mindset when navigating Trinity’s rigorous and diverse Pathways curriculum.

According to Carlisle, San Antonio and the rest of the “real world” needs more students like Smith: undergraduates who are already brimming with business experience before they even leave Trinity’s campus.

This year, ALE students partnered with more than 20 nonprofits, ranging from arts enterprises such as the San Antonio Symphony, Art Pace, and Opera San Antonio to political offices such as Sen. John Cornyn ’73 (R-TX) and Texas state Rep. Diego Bernal (D).

“Whatever a student’s interests are,” Carlisle adds, “we can probably find an ALE internship to meet it.”

And while Smith is keeping her career pathways open—with options in the energy field—the ALE program has her ready to hit the ground running after graduating.

“ALE is a direct connection,” Smith says, “between what I’ve learned and what I want to do.”

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Making a Significant Difference This summer, more than 200 Tigers are conducting fullyfunded research with real-world implications.

Adil Ahmed ’19 and Abbie Jones ’20 Ahmed, Jones and engineering professor Dany Munoz-Pinto are working to reduce the need for diabetes amputations by designing hydrogel wound dressings that enhance skin cell reproduction.

Funded by the San Antonio Area Foundation

Chiara Pride ’20, Euprhosyne Barr ’19, Julia Grace Palmer ’19, Jullian James Valadez ’21, Rohan Walawalkar ’20

Hanna Rafferty ’20

Trinity undergraduates and community members are combating the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS through forum theater, where the audience can flip the script. This powerful production is led by theatre professor Roberto Prestigiacomo and communication professor Robert Huesca.

Rafferty is working with physics professor Dennis Ugolini to refine the design of LIGO, a machine that measures gravitational waves. Their goal is to increase the machine’s sensitivity by understanding and eliminating the movement of electrical charge on mirror surfaces.

Funded by the McNair Scholars Program, Mellon Initiative

Funded by the National Science Foundation - Research in Undergraduate Institutions

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Ari Bearman ’20, Chase Watson ’21

Kristina Reinis ’20

Bearman, Watson, and psychology professor Kimberley Phillips are exploring whether exercise alleviates the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, by analyzing brain scans of primates.

Reinis is examining masculine attitudes towards women in the elegies of British poet John Donne. She’s turning text into art that explores objectivity and objectification.

Funded by the NIH Brain Changes Grant

Funded by the Mellon Initiative

Zoheb Hirani ’19, Hailey Taylor ’19 Hirani and Taylor are studying binding properties of short proteins called peptides, paving the way for improved research on bio-sensing and drug delivery.

Funded by the National Science Foundation Beckman Scholars Program

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Choose 47 5 59 your own path

GRAD

MAJORS

MINORS

Major

Accounting African American Studies American Intercultural Studies Ancient Mediterranean Studies Anthropology Art Art History Arts, Letters, & Enterprise Astronomy Biochemistry Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Biology Biomathematics Business Administration Business Analytics and Technology Business Administration Legal Studies Chemistry Chinese and Chinese Studies Classical Languages Classical Studies Communication Communication Management Comparative Literature Computer Science Computing as a Second Major Creative Writing East Asian Studies Economics Engineering Science Education English Entrepreneurship Environmental Studies Ethics Film Studies

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Minor

PROGRAMS

2

ADVISING PROGRAMS

Grad Program

Major

Finance & Decision Sciences French Geosciences German Studies Greek Health Care Administration History History of Philosophy Human Communication International Business International Studies Latin Linguistics Logic and Philosophy of Cognition Management Information Systems Mathematical Finance Mathematics Medieval & Renaissance Studies Music Neuroscience New Media Philosophy Philosophy of Art Physics Political Science Psychology Religion Russian Scientific Computing Sociology Spanish Sport Management Theatre Urban Studies Women’s & Gender Studies

an option to create your own major

Minor

Grad Program

Apply Early, Know Early

Financial Aid Application Dates Trinity recommends submitting your financial aid forms by your corresponding admission deadline.

Applications Available Online for Trinity’s Class of 2023 n Common Application │ n Coalition Application │ n ApplyTexas

CSS Profile The CSS Profile application form for the 2019-20 academic year will be available

Oct. 1, 2018

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

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DECISION NOTIFICATION

DEPOSIT DEADLINE

Early Decision I (binding)

Nov. 1

Dec. 1

Feb. 1

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Nov. 1

Mid-Dec.

May 1

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Jan. 1

Feb. 1

Mar. 1

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Jan. 1

Mid-Feb.

May. 1

Regular Decision

Feb. 1

Apr. 1

May 1

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The College Search: An experience for the whole family The college search is a fun and exciting time for students and families. Students get to celebrate their academic and co-curricular accomplishments and reflect upon their experiences as they chart their journeys forward. Here at Trinity, we appreciate the significance of the

college search experience, and it centers on you.

Throughout this process, we encourage future Tigers to discover new interests, grow existing passions, and become empowered citizens of the global community. Seek support from your friends, family, and parents

along the way. They can help you with your essays, be another set of eyes, ears, or taste buds on a campus visit, and guide you through the tough decisions that come along with the many opportunities in your future.

Resources for parents and families are available online at gotu.us/parents.

The FAFSA application form for the 2019-20 academic year will be available

Oct. 1, 2018

Visit Campus For A Trinity In Focus Program We invite you and your family to attend a Saturday Trinity In Focus open house program. It is an excellent way for you to discover the many opportunities available to students who live and study at Trinity University.

UPCOMING DATES: Sept. 22, 2018 Nov. 10, 2018 Jan. 26, 2019 Plan your visit: gotu.us/visit

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9:1 student-to-

QUICK FACTS

faculty ratio

125 acre campus

located in a residential neighborhood

100% hold doctoral or terminal degrees

Private, residential, co-educational, undergraduate-focused Founded in 1869 10 minutes from San Antonio International Airport Located in America’s 7th largest city

2,430

undergraduates from 45 states and 65 countries

77% live on

A D M I T T E D S T UDE N T P ROF IL E * Fall 2018 Entry Term

campus

7

minutes from downtown San Antonio

3.67

30.6

1370

A- grade average

29-33 mid 50%

1300-1440 mid 50%

average GPA

average ACT

average SAT

*As of June 1, 2018

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